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By Karen Bong
KUCHING, May 12: The RM950 million paddy development project implemented in Batang Lupar in 2013 faced major implementation setbacks due to issues involving Native Customary Rights (NCR) land.
Responding to concerns raised by Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said the allocation mentioned in the 2013 Hansard was part of a projected development under the proposed NKEA 11 Project in Batang Lupar.
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The project involved a planned development area of 5,100 hectares with an estimated allocation of RM950 million and was expected to benefit around 5,167 participants through phased implementation.
“The first phase saw the development of 200 hectares with an allocation of RM21 million for comprehensive infrastructure up to tertiary level, with BERNAS appointed as the anchor company. However, subsequent phases encountered serious obstacles due to the predominance of NCR land within the project area.
“Most of the existing paddy cultivation areas in the locality are also classified as NCR land. As the development of a modern paddy estate requires land realignment to facilitate effective mechanisation, as well as a more efficient and systematic irrigation and drainage system, progress was constrained by these land tenure considerations,” he said in his winding-up speech on the Sarawak Paddy and Rice Board Bill, 2026 in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) Sitting today.
Dr Rundi revealed that consent from certain landowners for land realignment could not be obtained, resulting in limitations to the project’s infrastructure development.
“As a result, infrastructure development had to be limited to the provision of primary and secondary infrastructure, while existing land boundaries were maintained,” he said.
Despite the constraints, Dr Rundi said a total of 1,306 hectares had been developed with primary and secondary infrastructure between 2013 and 2025, involving development costs amounting to RM148.7 million and benefiting 664 farmers.
He added that following the completion of infrastructure works and the provision of facilities in the area, many landowners later converted the land for other agricultural uses, particularly oil palm cultivation.
“After the completion of infrastructure works and the provision of good facilities in the area, landowners have since utilised the land for other crops, particularly oil palm cultivation,” he said.
Dr Rundi said the issues raised by Chong as well as Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong were not new and had already been addressed as part of the ministry’s ongoing initiatives.
The minister said lessons learned from the Batang Lupar project were among the reasons behind the government’s new strategic direction under the Sarawak Paddy and Rice Board Bill, including the emphasis on developing paddy cultivation on State land to ensure more effective long-term planning and implementation. — DayakDaily
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